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Court Decisions May Aid Some
Utility Profits in Long Term

The two major Supreme Court decisions involving the federal government's oversight of pollution emissions at first glance appear to be setbacks for the utility sector.

But down the road, the decisions could sweeten earnings for some utility companies by encouraging added spending on expensive pollution-control equipment that, in some cases, could be passed along to consumers at a profit. How utilities fare could depend on whether they sell electricity in regulated or deregulated power markets.